08 December 2023 , 19:50
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The Pogues' Fairytale of New York has been performed at Shane MacGowan's funeral in an emotional farewell to its beloved frontman.
Mourners gathered at St Mary's of the Rosary Church in Nenagh, Tipperary on Friday afternoon to pay their respects to the late folk singer, who died aged 65 in November after a lengthy bout of poor health.
The funeral mass, which was open to the public, celebrated Shane's extraordinary life with hymns, readings, gift offerings and several poignant performances. In a fitting send-off to the legendary musician, Glen Hansard and Lisa O'Neill sang The Pogues' 1998 festive tune, Fairytale of New York, which is widely considered to be their most successful hit.
Glen Hansard and Lisa O'Neill performed Fairytale of New York at Shane MacGowan's funeral (Sky)Fans were quick to hail the rendition, which notably replaced its controversial 'F' lyric with 'wagon' following criticism that it was homophobic. Shane had said he was "fine" with radio stations bleeping the word, but insisted that he chose it to accurately reflect the language of the character in the song, whom he described as "a woman of a certain generation at a certain time in history" who is "down on her luck and desperate."
Fans of The Pogues were quick to share their reaction to the performance online, with many taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, to express approval. "Nice job!! Though the late great Kirsty MacColl made that song what it was," one impressed person said, while another described it as "magical and very moving." A third said that it was "fantastic" and "a great tribute" to Shane, while a fourth wrote, "Wow, tears watching that."
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Earlier in the ceremony, Australian singer Nick Cave performed The Pogues' A Rainy Night in Soho. Irish singers Mundy and Camille O'Sullivan sang Haunted, a duet recorded by Shane and the late Sinead O'Connor in 1995, while I'm A Man You Don't Meet Every Day, recorded by The Pogues in 1985, was performed by the band's bassist Cait O'Riordan and musician John Francis Flynn.
Irish president Michael D Higgins, former Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams, Johnny Depp, Imelda May, and Bob Geldof were also present at Shane's funeral. A recording of a biblical reading by U2's Bono, who was unable to attend in person because he's currently in residency in Las Vegas, was also played.
Shane passed away on November 30 after a long struggle with poor health, leaving fans of the iconic musician devastated. He had been diagnosed with encephalitis, a condition which describes inflammation of the brain, after being hospitalized last year, and had also suffered from shingles and dental issues. His funeral procession began in Dublin on Friday before travelling to Nenagh, Tipperary, where Shane spent much of his childhood. The homily for the church service was delivered by Fr Gilbert, who described the late folk musician as "our modern-day-bard, as well as "the social commentator, the songsmith, the son, the brother, husband and friend."